1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to sighting mechanisms for use in conjunction with archery bows and other subsonic weaponry, such as paintball guns, grenade launchers, and the like, as well as with some higher velocity firearms. The present invention relates more specifically to a sighting system that uses an illuminated ballistic reticule to facilitate the aiming of a ballistic projectile launching device (a bow, a rifle, etc.) at targets over a variety of distances.
2. Description of the Related Art
A number of devices have been developed to facilitate the aiming of an archery bow or other ballistic weapon at a target positioned over a range of distances from the archer or shooter. The nature of archery, for example, is such that relatively small variations in distance to a target require relatively significant variations in the angle at which the archer holds the bow and aims towards the target. Whereas a distance of one hundred yards may merit little change in the aiming angle for a rifle, such distance variations in archery require a much more significant change in the aiming angle. Sighting devices designed for rifles do not generally translate well into sights suitable for bows.
The present invention provides a novel mechanism for illuminating a ballistic reticule that may be projected onto an optical aiming system such as that described in U.S. Pat. No. 8,006,395, issued Aug. 30, 2011, as well as U.S. Pat. No. 7,814,669 issued Oct. 19, 2010, the full disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference. In place of the direct image fiber optic wave guides disclosed and described in the above cited references, the present invention provides a full reticule configuration that utilizes the gathering of ambient light (or alternately, light from an artificial source) through a polystyrene component and directs this light through a cut out mask projecting it to a partially reflective, zero parallax optical array being utilized within the sighting system. In this manner, the movement of the bow or other device effects a corresponding movement in the angle of reflection through the optics of the sighting system. The structure of the ballistic reticule is such as to accommodate angle movements and twisting movements and to reflect the same within the sighting optics.